Who earns more than the premier? Qld’s best-paid public servants revealed

The highest-paid head of department in Queensland earned more than $900,000 last year, and more than half-a-dozen were paid more than the premier.A dump of well over 100 annual reports in the lead-up to the Brisbane Lions’ grand final appearance revealed how much the most powerful public servants raked in during the 2025-26 financial year, including non-monetary perks.John Sosso, Paul Williams, David Rosengren and Damien Walker were among Queensland’s highest-paid public servants. Queensland parliament It also showed sizable pay rises for some.Health Department director-general David Rosengren earned a total package of $903,000.David Crisafulli’s handpicked head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker, took home $838,000.Under-Treasurer Paul Williams was paid $810,000.Since-retired Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning director-general John Sosso made $736,000.Queensland Investment Corporation chief executive Kylie Rampa earned $951,549.The heads of Olympic bodies also brought in serious money, with Brisbane 2032 chief executive Cindy Hook on $1.033 million, while Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority chief executive Simon Crooks made $882,000, having only started in August 2025.President Andrew Liveris took home $177,804.Some directors-general earned sizable pay rises, with the head of the Department of Housing and Public Works, Mark Cridland, earning $675,000 – up $61,000 from $614,000 12 months prior.In the same period, Premier David Crisafulli earned a salary of more than $476,000 following a pay rise in the middle of 2025. This may not have included all the add-ons in the total pay package figures used for directors-general.The generous remuneration packages demonstrate just how much the government is willing to pay for behind-the-scenes talent.Asked on Tuesday if he believed the top salaries represented good value for Queensland taxpayers, the premier said he was “really comfortable” with how the system worked.“Ultimately, those senior mandarins of all those departments are accountable to me, and then indirectly to the ministers for the job they do, and that’s the way [the Westminster system] has to work,” Crisafulli told reporters.“I’m pleased with where the public service is working. I said to you from day one, my vision is to create the best public service in the state – in the country.“That is my vision, and we’ve made good progress on that.”Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:Public servicePublic serviceQueensland governmentDavid CrisafulliFor subscribersFrom our partners